Warm Audio WA-1B Tube Compressor

Tube-Opto Tone With Extended Control

 Accurate recreation of a world-class Scandinavian compressor combining smooth tube-optical warmth with precision controls. Delivering that revered “forgiving” musical compression with the added speed and control, the WA-1B excels on highly dynamic sources that demand analog, vintage vibe.

True-To-Original Controls

To deliver extended dynamics processing, the WA-1B features all of the classic controls of the original.

Threshold

 The WA-1B supports a variable threshold giving maximum control to the user regarding how much compression is applied to any signal at various input levels.

Ratio

The WA-1B ratio is variable and has infinite controls between 2:1 and 10:1. From soft musical dynamic control all the way to hard-smashing compression!

Attack & Release

The Attack/Release controls on the WA-1B are unique in that the attack/release operations can be switched from a fixed setting, manual (variable) setting, or a combined setting. In the “fixed” mode, the WA-1B delivers the natural attack & release time of the optical element. The combined setting in particular creates the opportunity for a more nuanced release-time curve. This dueling time-constant circuit operation is a special feature of the WA-1B and its original inspiration.  

Meter Switch

The WA-1B meter switch has three settings: input, compression, and output levels. Set to “input”, the VU meter is reading the level at the input connector. Set to “compression”, the VU meter is reading gain reduction. The steady-state is "0", and the amount of compression is shown as the needle moving right-to-left away from 0dB. Set to “output”, the VU meter is reading the level at the output connector.

On/Bypass

The on/bypass switch on the WA-1B activates or bypasses the compressor. This is a hard bypass, meaning no signal passes through the circuitry in bypass mode.